Agenda Item XVIIa
Letters
Posted on Mon, Jan. 07, 2008
Endowed chairs work on students’ behalf
A recent letter from Richard Breeland (“Cut endowed chairs before scholarships”) made the following poignant statement: “I don’t see how anyone can look a teenager in the eye and tell him we are cutting his scholarship money while we are endowing chairs at the universities.” Mr. Breeland went on to suggest that the endowed chairs program is not well understood by most South Carolinians.
The endowed chairs initiative (Centers of Economic Excellence) was created by the General Assembly to help develop the knowledge-based economy in South Carolina. Based upon recommendations of expert reviewers, funds are awarded by a state oversight board to the three research universities, Clemson, MUSC and USC, in order to raise matching dollars and recruit nationally recognized scientists and engineers into the state. In turn, the intellectual property generated by these faculty members will create start-up companies and attract existing technology companies to the state.
Similar investments have been made for many years in other states, and South Carolina risks not being able to compete in the new economy if we do not build this capability here.
It is time to reverse the brain drain that has caused so many of our talented young people to seek their fortunes elsewhere. The state’s research universities want to look South Carolina’s teenagers in the eye and reassure them that we are working hard to create good, high-paying jobs for their future. Newly created Centers of Economic Excellence, such as the International Center for Automotive Research and Health Sciences South Carolina, are building blocks for giving our teenagers vibrant and rewarding opportunities in their home state.
These centers do not compete with the scholarship programs; they complement them by translating education into economic success.
RAYMOND S. GREENBERG
President, Medical University of South Carolina
Charleston